Administrative controls

This article is about the concept in occupational hazard control. For the concept in information security, see Information security § Security controls.

For broader coverage of this topic, see Hierarchy of hazard controls.

Administrative controls are modifications or changes to work practices or behaviors in order to reduce the severity of impact of hazard or hazardous operations.This category of control relies more on worker compliance (e.g., factory floor workers) and does not many a times offer a permanent solutions to control hazards in workplaces.^[1][2]

This electrical hazard safety sign used in Germany is an example of an administrative control.

Hierarchy of controls

In the hierarchy of hazard controls, administrative controls lies 4th below engineering controls and above personal protective equipment which ranks in terms of the effectiveness and efficiency of hazard controls^[3] and that is why they have to be used after elimination, Substitution and engineering controls and when they are implemented / considered or as a extra layer of protection from hazards (in in some cases or some other hierarchy of control they add isolation as a step as well and should be considered prior to administrative controls)

Administrative controls are more effective than PPE because they involve some manner of prior planning and avoidance, whereas PPE serves only as a final barrier between the hazard and worker. Administrative controls are second lowest because they require workers or employers to actively think or comply with regulations and do not offer permanent solutions to problems.^[4] Generally, administrative controls are cheaper to begin, but they may become more expensive over time as higher failure rates and the need for constant training or re-certification eclipse the initial investments of the three more desirable hazard controls in the hierarchy.^[5] The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends administrative controls when hazards cannot be removed or changed, and engineering controls are not practical.^[6]

Some Key Administrative controls features

• Safety Policy^[7]
• Safe work practices^[8]
• Training^[9]
• Scheduling (Including maintenance)
• Working alone protocol^[10] (lone worker policy)
• Emergency Management / Preparedness
• Safety Signages^[11] & Documentation
• Preventive health measures (Health checkup, Monitoring etc.)
• Housekeeping

History of Administrative controls

The origin of administrative controls goes to the ancient governance systems where rulers used written rules and organized bureaucracies to maintain order and efficiency. Early examples go from Mesopotamia, China and Egypt were officials managed labors , Justice and even the work schedules to reduce stress.

Then reconstructed and used in safety with the industrial revolution as a way to reduce growing injuries by setting up rules, supervision and procedures and by 20th century, administrative measures like work scheduling, training and exposure limits became common for managing risk and then with the formation of OSHA and NIOSH in 1970 marked a major step in formalizing such controls in US workforce overtime and evolved to focus on systematic risk management, accountability and continuous improvement.

Some common examples of administrative controls include work practice controls such as prohibiting mouth pipetting and rotating worker shifts in coal mines to prevent hearing loss.^[6][12][13] Other examples include hours of service regulations for commercial vehicle operators,^[14] Safety signage for hazards,^[15] and regular maintenance of equipment.^[16]

Example Applying Administrative Controls for Covid 19^[17]

Administrative controls are used to limit the spread of COVID-19 by changing human habits and social organization. These include policies such as remote work, restriction on indoor gatherings, Staggered schedules, enforcing mask in areas and mandating vaccination while reducing the close contact and crowding but it highly depend on human making them less reliable but when combined with engineering controls such as hard barricades for maintaining distance or limiting the entry by controlling doors then they can be highly effective.^[18]